One Vehicle
People cleaned the pedestrian overpass
People wiped the bridge parapet
I still have a lot to learn
so I am going to take one step at a time
in order to repay
what I have learned
from others
We solemnly offer these words of respect
omnipresent in the lands of the 10 directions
nourishing these seeds, these good deeds
passengers travelling in the same Buddha vehicle
being generous and open minded
he encountered the Lotus Sutra
imbued with the spirit of harmony
the inheritance of the lamp of the dharma
I used to give up on things easily
I have learned how we should welcome people
my real life of faith has been reborn
having faith means cultivating our hearts
cultivating our minds, it means feeling gratitude
toward our present lives, my heart is full
of gratitude because I was able to overcome hardships
with support from members of the
fellowship
I vow to focus
on the present, the now
I will do my best to cultivate nonattachment
nonjudgement, renewing my attitude
to be thankful
to enter the world
of great joy
together
Mike Sonksen aka Mike the Poet writes a weekly column for KCET and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Woodbury University and Southwest College.
